Welcome to my strange alternative world of wargaming with toy soldiers: a game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys' games and books (HG Wells, Little wars)

Friday, 20 May 2016

Air Support For My Bolt Action Japanese Forces

Three Japanese Army fighter aircraft. Imperial Japan had no independent air force and the Army and Navy treated each other as enemy powers. The IJN procured land-based planes that were completely different from IJA planes, right down to the minor fittings.

I use 1/72 models for Bolt Action air support because of their convenient size.

From right to left, we have:

Type 1 'Oscar'
The most common Army fighter, nearly 6,000 were built, it soldiered on to the end of the war despite increasing obsolescence: light, manoeuvrable, fragile and under-armed.

Type 2 'Tojo'
A heavier armed interceptor, the Tojo was faster and less manoeuvrable than the Oscar. Poor performance at high altitude impeded its use against B29s. Over a thousand built.

Type 3 'Tony'
The most 'European' of the main three IJA fighters, the Tony had an inline engine. Over 3,000 built.

Navy Bomber 'Frances'
A fast, long-ranged, land-based, multi-role bomber, the Frances was too sophisticated for Japanese industry to manufacture in bulk and the thousand or so built were notorious for unreliability. A good medium bomber, the Frances was an utter failure as a nigh-fighter.